Blast forces Kaiser site evacuation

An explosion involving a tanker truck delivering liquid oxygen to a Santa Rosa medical facility Wednesday prompted staff to evacuate patients on gurneys and wheelchairs, authorities said.

No patients or medical employees were injured in the blast around 2:30 p.m. that 911 callers said caused buildings to shake at the Kaiser Permanente outpatient facility, according to spokesman Joe Fragola.

The explosion closed Highway 101 for about an hour.

The truck’s driver was hospitalized with unknown injuries, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.

“It sounded like the start of an earthquake,” Kaiser employee Jenna Ausiello told the newspaper. “That’s what I thought was happening.”

Hazardous materials crews responded after the tanker truck began to leak cryogenic liquid oxygen, Santa Rosa fire officials said.

Initial dispatch reports said the truck crashed into a building at the medical complex. Officials said later there was no crash and the incident is considered an industrial accident.

Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal said something apparently went wrong with the connection as the truck’s tank was delivering oxygen to an on-site tank at the offices.

One of the buildings evacuated contained an outpatient surgery center. Buses and ambulances were sent to evacuate employees and patients, some of whom were in wheelchairs and on stretchers.